The best grilling & BBQ books to fire up your summer cooking

July is National Grilling Month! According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, most grill owners are adventurous and curious cooks, seeking out new recipes or experimenting with new techniques.

If you happen to be one of those adventurous grill owners looking for something new, we’ve cooked up the best BBQ and grilling books to help you enliven your outdoor cooking this summer. For first-time grillers to seasoned BBQ masters, the Libby app and your library have new recipes and tips to help you enjoy the fruits of your barbecue adventures.

🔥Pro tip: Grilling while using Libby? Put your phone or tablet in a sealable plastic bag and place on a table or other flat surface. Enjoy recipe access with no splatters or drips on your devices!

Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out: 100 Recipes That Redefine Outdoor Cooking by Michael Symon and Douglas Trattner

Michael Symon offers 100 recipes for outdoor cooking including desserts and drinks too. Featuring fan-favorite recipes from his popular Food Network show, Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out, and brand-new recipes, this cookbook is sure to excite budding and expert grillers alike.

The Outdoor Cook: How to Cook Anything Outside by America’s Test Kitchen

Your comprehensive guide to outdoor cooking with 150 recipes to make the whole meal outdoors, including snacks, sides, breads, and desserts. Whether you use a gas or charcoal grill, flat-top griddle, open-fire setup, smoker, or pizza oven, you can revel in the outdoor cooking lifestyle. By learning to harness fire and smoke the ATK way, you'll even be able to convert many of these recipes between different cooking methods.

How to Grill Everything by Mark Bittman

The ultimate grilling guide and the latest in Mark Bittman's acclaimed How to Cook Everything series. Here's how to grill absolutely everything—from the perfect steak to cedar-plank salmon to pizza—explained in Mark Bittman's trademark simple, straightforward style. Featuring more than 250 recipes and hundreds of variations, plus Bittman's practical advice on all the grilling basics, this book is an exploration of the grill's nearly endless possibilities.

Barbacoa: The Heart of Tex-Mex Barbecue by Brandon Hurtado

You've seen multiple books on Southern BBQ and African American BBQ, but nothing on the third great barbecue tradition—Hispanic barbecue. Here to fill that gap at last is Brandon Hurtado, the most celebrated practitioner of Tex-Mex barbecue around.

Brandon presents masterpiece recipes for everything from Pulled Pork Carnitas and Lobster Tostadas to Barbacoa con Papas and Brisket Birria Tacos—and beyond. If you want to master the most deeply flavored barbecue on earth—and that, in a nutshell, is what Tex-Mex barbecue is—you cannot do better than to learn from a master like Brandon Hurtado. His book promises a lifetime of smoke-infused flavor and deep enjoyment.

Vegan Barbecue by Terry Sargent

At last! Now vegans and vegetarians, plus the millions of omnivores and carnivores who are eating more plant-based meals, are invited to join the authentic smoke-cooked BBQ party! You can master these and nearly 100 more healthy, plant-based, smoky, and vibrant recipes with Terry's masterful and fun book as your guide. Learn how to slow-smoke all sorts of veggies, fruits, vegan meats, and vegan cheeses in this beautifully photographed book that features soul-satisfying recipes filled with flavor and spice.

From sides and desserts to dozens of meat-free main courses, from skewers and kebabs to burgers and tacos, this is a book that takes vegan cooking—and BBQ itself!—in an incredibly exciting new direction.

Flavors of the Southeast Asian Grill by Leela Punyaratabandhu

Sharing beloved barbecue dishes from the Southeast Asian countries of Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and Indonesia, experienced author and expert on Asian cooking Leela Punyaratabandhu inspires readers with a deep dive into the flavor profile and spices of the region. This is the perfect book for anyone looking for an easy and flavorful way to expand their barbecue repertoire.

Backyard BBQ with Fire and Spice: Filipino- and Cajun-Inspired Recipes for the Smoker and Grill by Tony Ramirez

Tony Ramirez has long blazed his own trail under the TFTI (Thanks For The Invite) brand. Maybe you've seen his instant classics like spicy Filipino BBQ chicken skewers or Cajun honey butter wings. Or maybe you were hooked by his addictive "Dynamite Lumpia." No matter what you tried, chances are you agreed with his signature phrase: "That's Money."

In this book, Tony brings you into his own backyard for an insider's guide to how he crafts his hits. You'll use a variety of cooking techniques and discover new flavor profiles with one-of-a-kind recipes sure to impress your family and friends.

Kebabs: 75 Recipes for Grilling by Sabrina Baksh & Derrick Riches

Everyone loves grilling up kebabs, but it's easy to fall into the mushroom, pepper, chicken/beef rut. In Kebabs, Derrick Riches and Sabrina Baksh take this quick and easy grilling method for a brand-new spin.

They traveled the backroads of the Barbecue Belt and studied street-food stalls where skewered, grilled foods are most famous, like Greece, Turkey and the Middle East, India, and even Japan (yakitori) and France (brochettes). There are ample recipes for beef, chicken, fish and seafood, vegetables, and even fruit, plus vegan substitutions are included for meat recipes. Kebabs includes plenty of technique guidance, too. Are metal or wood skewers better for grilling? Do you really need to soak wooden skewers before cooking?

Jerk from Jamaica: Barbecue Carribbean Style by Helen Willinsky

When Helen Willinsky first published her classic Jamaican barbecue cookbook, "jerk" was a fightin' word to most people outside the Caribbean Islands. Not anymore. In love with fire and spice, barbecue fans and food lovers of all stripes have discovered the addictive flavors of Jamaican jerk seasoning and Caribbean cooking in general. Newly revised and bursting with island color, Helen's book provides a friendly introduction to this increasingly popular way to season and prepare meat, chicken, and fish. Rounded off with simple and authentic recipes for sides, drinks, and desserts, this cookbook is a complete backyard guide to grilling and eating island-style.

Martha Stewart’s Grilling: 125+ Recipes for Gatherings Large and Small by Editors of Martha Stewart

There's nothing like the satisfaction of cooking over a live fire, whether a weeknight meal or outdoor entertaining. This cookbook captures this spirit, while providing essential tips and techniques for both experienced outdoor cooks and those brand-new to the grill. With more than 100 recipes from the trusted editors at Martha Stewart Living, this indispensable guide to grilling has everything you need to create delicious, inviting meals for everyday dinners and backyard feasts.

The ‘Ohana Grill Cookbook by Adrienne Robillard

Experience a taste of the island life in your own backyard with 50 flavor-packed and family-friendly barbecue recipes, including Grilled Garlic Shrimp, Soy Maple Salmon, and much more! You don't have to go on vacation to enjoy the tropical flavors of the Pacific! With this cookbook, you can have your own personal luau every night with delicious recipes made for your outdoor grill.

Fire + Wine Backyard Pizza by Mary Cressler and Sean Martin

Authors Sean Martin and Mary Cressler bring their experience as pit master and sommelier to the art of creating the perfect pizza with your favorite outdoor grill or pizza oven, pairing dozens of delicious pizza recipes with the perfect wine every time.

You'll find all the classics (hey there, Chicago Deep Dish and Margherita!), but also savory, gluten-free, vegetarian, and even sweet pizzas, making this the only cookbook a pizza lover of any age and palate—even the one who likes pineapple on their pizza—ever needs.

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